A Not-So Perfect Match
by TheSarows
Summary: Percy has just moved to New York City and is going to the same school as his cousin Thalia, and Thalia's best friend Annabeth. Annabeth is a pressured workaholic and Percy's laid back, goofy personality might be exactly what she needs and Annabeth's antics might just be the thing that causes Percy to make it through high school.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello and Welcome! This is my first story so I'm apologize if it's a bit rough. Anyway, I won't talk too much, On with the story. Oh, and I don't own PJO, HOO or the song.**

 **Song-**

 **Barcelona by Ed Sheeran**

 _Annabeth POV_

Annabeth walked into the library with way too many things on her mind. God, she had so much homework from all the AP classes she was taking, and her mom kept pushing her to do extra-curriculars because "They look good on college applications, Annabeth." Ugh. She just wanted to be a kid and have fun while she still could. She was a junior in high school but felt like she was 30 with a full-time job. Athena was a piece of work. Annabeth loved her mom dearly but sometimes she pushed her daughter too hard. Annabeth hadn't seen her friends outside of school in months, and she missed them dearly. She sighed and glanced around the library to try to scout out a table to start her mountain of homework.

She had found a table, and had just gotten started when someone threw their backpack down in the chair adjacent to hers. She jumped in surprise, looked up, and a grin instantly appeared on her face.

"Thalia, what are you doing here?" Annabeth asked.

"Well, I had to spend time with you somehow and this seems to be where you spend the majority of your free time so…I came to hang out with my best friend," Thalia explained as she pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Fair enough," said Annabeth still smiling "but I have to finish all of my homework or my mother will kill me," Annabeth warned.

"Yeah yeah, I know," said Thalia exasperated. "but Beth I'm tired of you being stuck at home or at the library."

"Don't call me Beth," Annabeth replied flatly.

"Why don't we have a sleepover at my house this weekend." Thalia said imploringly putting on her best puppy dog face.

"I don't know," Annabeth said hesitantly.

"Please Annabeth, we haven't hung out in forever."

"Alright fine, my mom is out town this weekend so I guess so but she can't find out," sighed Annabeth grinning slightly.

"Yes!" Thalia exclaimed throwing her hands in the air, earning a glare from the librarian. "You won't regret it Beth, I promise. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at 7:30 for school. Ok?" said Thalia standing and grabbing her backpack.

"Yup, bye Thals" Annabeth called to Thalia's retreating form. Grinning she looked down to continue her homework.

Annabeth stood and stretch, scraping all her blond curls into a ponytail. She had finally finished all her homework and now got to go home and relax a little. She audibly sighed but inwardly grinned. She was extremely excited for this weekend. She had been reluctant to agree but she really needed a break from school and a sleepover at Thalia's was the perfect way to unwind.

She pushed the library doors open and headed out to her car. Unlocking it, she sat down, and rested her head on the seat's headrest and shut her eyes for a few seconds recovering from her exhausting day. Sighing she opened her eyes, lifted her head and started her car. Before starting on her way home, she chose one of her favorite songs to listen to as she drove, "Barcelona" by Ed Sheeran. Singing along, pulled out of her parking spot and started her drive home.

Annabeth parked her car on the street in front of her building and shuffled her feet up the stairs into her apartment. Dropping her backpack and kicking off her shoes by the door, she began to make herself a dinner of pasta alfredo.

When her dinner was finished cooking she unceremoniously dumped the mess into a bowl grabbed silverware, her current book of her backpack and sat down at the table to eat.

After finishing dinner, she set her dishes in the sink and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth before collapsing on her bed to start the whole process over again the next day.

 _Percy POV_

Percy woke to the unforgiving sound of his alarm going off on his nightstand. He vaguely wondered what time it was, but smacked the snooze button and promptly fell back asleep.

He was then woken up again, not so aggressively this time, but instead by his mother shaking his shoulder saying "Percy, get up, you have school and you have to get ready because you are staying at Thalia's, remember?"

Percy groaned, opening his eyes a crack. "Come on Perce," Sally coaxed, "I made blue pancakes," she said over her shoulder on the way out of his bedroom. At that Percy was out of bed in a flash. He dug out a shirt, shorts, threw them on and sprinted down the hall toward the kitchen dodging moving boxes as he went. Sitting on a plate next to a glass of orange juice was a giant, still steaming, stack of blue pancakes. Grabbing a fork, he sat down at the counter and shoveled several bites into his mouth right as his mom walked in. "Percy, at least attempt to have some manners." Sally reprimanded not unkindly.

"Sorry mom" he mumbled around another huge bite of pancakes.

"I have to leave soon for my flight and Thalia is coming to get you at 7:15." His mom said packing up the remainder of her things.

"Yeah, yeah mom I know. You've told me this a thousand times." said Percy swallowing.

"Ok, I'm just going to miss you Perce. I know three weeks is a long time but-"

"I'm going to be fine because I'm staying at Thalia's," Percy finished "I am going to miss you too mom." He said his expression softening. He kissed his mom on the cheek and walked her to the door of their small apartment. He hugged her and called "I love you mom."

"I love you too hun, good luck on your first day." she said looking back at him before starting down the stairs of their building. Percy sighed and walked back into the apartment shutting the door. He understood why he had to stay at Thalia's but he was 17 for god sake, he could handle himself. They had just moved to New York City and today was his first day at his new school with Thalia. Going to school with his wacko cousin was going to be interesting to say the least. Either way, Thalia was going to be here in a half hour and he needed to eat and finish packing, hell more like start, psh who was he kidding.

Percy opened the door to an angry, soaking wet Thalia Grace. "It's pouring." She stated as she stepped into the apartment.

"Wow, no shit Sherlock." Percy said sarcastically as he turned to grab his things from his room and a towel for his disheveled cousin.

"Here, he said walking back into the living room, towel and bag in hand.

"Thanks," said Thalia, taking the towel, not sounding grateful in the least. Leaving Thalia to get dry, Percy drifted over to the kitchen to look for a snack before they left. "Would you hurry up," Thalia called "I have to pick up my friend before we go to school."

"Which friend?" Percy asked curious, coming back into the living room.

"What does it matter to you, you don't know any of my friends anyway." Thalia snapped back.

"Ouch, fine, don't tell me, whatever. Just trying to be nice." Percy replied.

"Annabeth, her name's Annabeth." Thalia said grudgingly.

"Annabeth," said Percy testing out the name thoughtfully.

"Yes, Annabeth, and if you call her anything else, she will kick your ass." Thalia warned.

"Noted," replied Percy eyebrows raised. "Now you said we have to go?" he said shrugging on his backpack.

"Yes, hurry up princess," she said raising one eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah," said Percy following her out the door on his way to his first day of his new school.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Thank you all for reading and following! My spring semester just ended so hopefully I will be able to update more frequently. Honestly, thank you all! You guys make my day. I don't own PJO or HOO, they all belong to the wonderful Uncle Rick.**

 **Chapter 2**

 _Percy's POV_

Thalia pulled up in front of Annabeth's apartment and slammed on the horn.

"Geez, Thalia, wake up the whole neighborhood why don't you," said Percy irritably.

"Hey, at least she'll hear me," Thalia snapped back, not even remotely apologetic. Percy looked toward the building and saw a flash of blond hair near the entrance.

 _Annabeth's POV_

Annabeth heard Thalia's honk as she was walking down the stairs of her building. Glancing out of the windows in the front of her building she could see the sheets of rain hammering down on the sidewalk and the row of parked cars outside her building. Reaching the bottom of the steps, she hugged her backpack to her chest and sprinted toward Thalia's black BMW. The car was a gift from Thalia's dad, Zeus, when she turned 16 and got her driver's license, needless to say, it was Thalia's baby. As she approached the car, she saw someone in the passenger seat, she frowned and clambered in a back seat.

"Hey Thals," Annabeth said as she sat down and pulled the car door shut. Just as she was about to shake the excess water from her damp curls, Thalia hit the gas and the car shot forward. "What the hell, Thalia" Annabeth exclaimed, as she was thrown back into her seat as the car accelerated.

"Sorry, Beth, but we have to move otherwise we are going to be late because SOMEONE had to primp for his first day of school," said Thalia, pointedly glaring at the person sitting in the passenger seat.

"You have got to be kidding me," the man sitting shotgun blurted out. "The only reason we are late is because you showed up at my apartment late, and soaking wet, I might add," he admonished, matching the previous glare she had thrown his way.

"Whatever doesn't change the fact that we still could be late for school," Thalia said looking back at the road.

"Ha! Face it, Pinecone Face, I'm right!" he said triumphantly.

"You know what Kelp Head, I don't want to hear it." She shot back.

Annabeth snorted in a very un-ladylike fashion and attempted to smother a laugh at their very unique nicknames. At her outburst, Thalia glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "Oh, that's right, Annabeth meet my cousin, Kelp Head," she said, gesturing to the man sitting next to her. "He is transferring to our school because he got kicked out of his old one."

"Thank you very much, Thalia, you just desperately needed to bring that up?" the man said. Thalia just shrugged in reply and turned her eyes back to the road.

"Anyway, hello it's nice to meet you," he said turning around to face Annabeth as best he could in the small confines of the car. "I prefer Percy to Kelp Head but my dear cousin here, has never seemed to have gotten the hint," he said reaching out a hand for her to shake.

"It's nice to meet you too," Annabeth said taking his hand. She looked up to meet his eyes and immediately froze. Thalia's cousin was breathtaking. He had jet black hair that looked perfectly mussed and sea green eyes that swirled with every shade of blue and green imaginable. She knew that she was staring too long but she couldn't look away. Finally, snapping out of her trance, she retracted her hand and leaned back against the car seat, blushing slightly. Percy turned back around with a slight smirk on his face and said,

"I didn't think Pinecone Face had any friends."

"Hey!" exclaimed Thalia, reaching across the console to playfully punch Percy in the arm. "I'll have you know I have plenty of friends," she harrumphed.

"Pinecone Face?" Annabeth questioned, simultaneously raising an eyebrow and looking at Percy's profile from the back seat.

"Ugh, don't get him started." Thalia groaned.

"Ahh," said Percy grinning and glancing back at Annabeth slightly, "when we were kids, she ran into a pine tree and a bunch of pinecones fell on her head so the nickname stuck," Percy explained, a smug expression on his face.

"Great, now another person knows that story," Thalia said grumpily. "Thanks a lot, Perce." Annabeth didn't say anything and Thalia glanced in the mirror to see Annabeth staring at her, grinning evilly. "Fantastic," said Thalia, "Now you're going to make fun of me too, right?"

"Oh, there's no question about that," replied Annabeth grinning.

"Ahh, and there are many more stories where that came from," Percy said gleefully glancing at Thalia.

"Absolutely not, there is no way you are spreading more stories about me from our childhood," said Thalia turning to look at Percy.

"Would you look at the road, geez, you're going to get us killed," Percy exclaimed.

"I know how to drive, thank you very much," said an annoyed Thalia.

"Well then prove it," Percy admonished, "because so far your abilities are questionable at best."

 _Percy POV_

Thalia pulled into a parking spot in front of his new school. Percy was apprehensive about starting another school. He had been to so many in his life that this one should be no different but for some reason, this one seemed more intimidating than the others. He had never had the best grades and the only thing he was remotely talented at was swimming. He wasn't good at making real friends and at his other schools he was either the faceless popular kid or the outcast and there was no in between. Thalia broke his reverie by slamming her car door shut and leaning down to pointedly stare at him through her window. Percy sighed and clambered out of his side of the car to stare at the front of his new high school. He stumbled forward and turned to look at her as Annabeth opened her door behind him.

She was thin but tall, with sharp grey eyes that looked like she was analyzing everything she looked at. She had long, blond bouncy curls that went halfway down her back. She was dressed in regular blue jeans, with a green sweater and a grey Jansport backpack slung over one shoulder. Percy looked down at her, slightly amused, because Annabeth was the exact opposite of Thalia, walking ahead of them, with her short dark hair, tall combat boots, and entirely black wardrobe. As they walked toward the front doors Percy vaguely wondered how they ever became friends.

"So, it's your first day, are you nervous?" Annabeth asked looking up at him, as he towered at least 6 inches over her.

"Not really, I've been to a lot of schools so I've had a lot of first days, it's not super intimidating anymore," Percy replied, nonplussed.

"Well that's good, I guess," Annabeth said, obviously not knowing what else to say. Their awkward conversation was interrupted by Thalia turning around and saying

"Hurry up, weirdos we're gonna be late for first period."

"Yeah, yeah we're coming, calm down." Percy quipped

"May I remind you who's fault it is that we are late to begin with?" Annabeth chimed in.

"Exactly," said Percy gesturing to Annabeth, "you can't argue with the majority."

"Traitor!" said Thalia jokingly offended. She put a hand to her chest and glared mockingly at Annabeth.

"Sorry, but he's got a point," Annabeth replied nodding her head slightly in Percy's direction. Percy smirked smugly at Thalia and raised his eyebrows in an I-told-you-so sort of way. Thalia rolled her eyes and turned back around to walk through the school's main doors.

They entered and Thalia turned to Annabeth and said: "I have to take Kelp Head to the office; I'll see you at lunch."

"Ok, bye guys," Annabeth called as she waved her hand and walked toward her locker.

"Thalia, I can find the office just fine thank you, this isn't my first time in a high school," Percy said.

"Are you kidding, you got lost in my house, so there's no telling how lost you could get in a giant high school."

"That was one time!" Percy shouted indignantly, following her as she marched down the hallway, no doubt toward the office.

Hauling the office door open Thalia marched in and harrumphed into a chair.

"Well," she said, gesturing to the desk, "go get your schedule".

"Wow, thanks Thals you are a real help. I can see why you insisted on taking me all the way to the office." Percy said pointedly.

"Hey, I said I would show you where the office was, not help you get your time table," Thalia replied

"Touché," said Percy grudgingly.

After Percy got his schedule, Thalia dumped him in front of his class and disappeared to her first period. Shoving his time table into his pocket, he took a breath and prepped himself for the judgmental stares and awkward teacher introductions. Grabbing the handle, he yanked the door open and strolled into the classroom. He always had trouble in school. His dyslexia and ADHD meant that classrooms were his worst nightmare. Sitting still for 50 min and learning about things he didn't care about was near impossible. He had very few teachers that he had actually liked in his high school career and switching schools didn't help his motivation much either considering he was changing classes all the time.

Walking into the classroom he glanced around and immediately a huge grin split his face. He saw Jason Grace sitting by himself toward the back of the classroom staring at his phone.

"Hey man, do you mind if I sit here?" Percy asked.

"Sure, it's open," Jason replied, not looking up.

"Wow dude, I don't even get a hello?" Percy teased. "I see how it is."

"Wha- PERCY!" Jason yelled, finally looking up from his phone. "Holy shit, what are you doing here?" Jason asked.

"My mom and I moved recently so this is my new school. Why, did Thalia not tell you I was coming?" Percy asked.

"No, she did not. I can't believe her, well actually-" Jason trailed off, "I can but, still, you think that a sister would tell her own brother if their cousin was moving, geez."

"Yeah, she's kind of a pain but, gotta love her," Percy replied.

"Yeah I suppose," said Jason grinning. His eyes shifted toward the front of the classroom, where the teacher had just walked in and was writing on the whiteboard. "Beware of this teacher, she's a demon," Jason warned.

"A demon? That seems a bit harsh Jas," Percy said skeptically.

"Trust me," was all Jason said before the teacher got everyone's attention and class started.


End file.
